Saturday, September 30, 2006

Weight Gain Between Pregnancies Raises Health Risks

Doctors have long advised women that are overweight and plan to become pregnant to lose their weight because a number of studies has been conducted and shows that there is a link between obesity and pregnancy complications, such as pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure or hypertension), gestational diabetes and stillbirth.

But recent study, as published in the British medical journal, The Lancet, found that an increase in body mass index or BMI between your first and second pregnancies also may increase the risks of above pregnancy complications.

The results showed that weight gain between first and second pregnancies was associated with an increased risk of all these overweight and obesity-related adverse outcomes. A gain of one to two BMI units increased the risk of gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension or large-for-gestational age birth an average of 20 to 40 percent. A gain of three or more BMI units showed a 63 percent greater chance of stillbirth compared to a gain of less than one BMI unit and also a greater effect on all other complications. Additionally, the researchers found that the risk of adverse outcomes increased even in women who were not overweight, but who gained a modest amount of weight between pregnancies. For example, if a woman who was 5 ft., 5 in., tall and weighed 139 lbs. (giving her a BMI of 23, not considered overweight) gained 6.6 lbs. (1 BMI unit) between her first and second pregnancies, her average risk of gestational diabetes would increase by more than 30 percent. If she gained 12.2 pounds (2 BMI units), her risk would increase 100 percent. The risk would continue to climb if she gained more weight and became obese.

So, it turns out that even only a relatively modest increase in weight between pregnancies would lead to serious illness. And of course the only key to prevent the risks is that women of normal weight should avoid gaining weight between their pregnancies, while obese and overweight women is highly recommended to lose weight if they have a plan on getting pregnant.